Wettest June on record in Iowa; concerns rising over heavy rain forecasts

Last month was the wettest June on record in Iowa, and the second wettest month in the state's history. Now a new hydrologic outlook points to concerns about the possibility of more heavy rains this weekend and into next week.

Preliminary results from the Iowa State Climatologist show that June 2010 was the wettest on record for the state, according to KCRG-TV9 First Alert Storm Team meteorologist Josh Baynes. The state average total rainfall was 10.34 inches, which barely beat out June 1947's average total rainfall of 10.33 inches.  For comparison's sake, in June 2008, the state average total rainfall was 9.01 inches.  Up until this June, that stood as the second wettest June on record for Iowa, so June 2008 it will move down to third.

For comparison's sake, the wettest month ever on record for the state was July 1993, when the state average total was 10.50 inches, so we were close to an all-time record.  For now, we will settle for 2nd wettest month ever on record for the state.

A new hydrologic outlook, issued today, says more heavy rains in the next few days could bring more widespread flooding to the state. Here's the outlook from the National Weather Service:

... VERY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE INDEPENDENCE DAY THROUGH MONDAY ...DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE STREAMING NORTH FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE ALEX WILL INTERACT WITH A SURFACE BOUNDARY THAT WILL STALL ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA ON SUNDAY. THE RESULT WILL BE TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE EXTREMELY EFFICIENT RAINFALL PRODUCERS. A WIDESPREAD 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. A MORE NARROW BAND OF 2 TO 4 INCHES INCLUDING LOCAL AMOUNTS OVER 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR BEFORE THEPRECIPITATION ENDS DURING THE DAY MONDAY.THE RECENT DRY WEATHER HAS ALLOWED SOIL CONDITIONS TO BEGIN TO RECOVER BUT THE SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT REMAINS ABNORMALLY HIGH. IN ADDITION...MATURING CROPS ACROSS THE STATE WILL SLOW RAINFALL RUNOFF HOWEVER RAINFALL RATES WITH THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE HIGH WHICH WOULD LEAD TO EXCESSIVE RUNOFF. MANY CREEKS ARECURRENTLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING DUE TO THE RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL. INDIVIDUALS CAMPING IN LOW LYING AREAS THIS EXTENDED HOLIDAY WEEKEND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND EVEN IF THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. WATER LEVELS CAN QUICKLY RISE FROM HEAVY RAINFALL UPSTREAM.ANOTHER CONCERN IS THE VERY HIGH WATER LEVELS THROUGHOUT MANY OF THE LARGER RIVER BASINS. A WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD LEAD TO RENEWED FLOODING OR MORE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING THAN WHAT ISCURRENTLY ONGOING. STAY TUNED TO FUTURE FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS POTENTIAL SITUATION.

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DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE STREAMING NORTH FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE ALEX WILL INTERACT WITH A SURFACE BOUNDARY THAT WILL STALL ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA ON SUNDAY. THE RESULT WILL BE TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE EXTREMELY EFFICIENT RAINFALL PRODUCERS. A WIDESPREAD 1 TO 3 INCHES OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. A MORE NARROW BAND OF 2 TO 4 INCHES INCLUDING LOCAL AMOUNTS OVER 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR BEFORE THE

PRECIPITATION ENDS DURING THE DAY MONDAY.

THE RECENT DRY WEATHER HAS ALLOWED SOIL CONDITIONS TO BEGIN TO RECOVER BUT THE SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT REMAINS ABNORMALLY HIGH. IN ADDITION...MATURING CROPS ACROSS THE STATE WILL SLOW RAINFALL RUNOFF HOWEVER RAINFALL RATES WITH THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE HIGH WHICH WOULD LEAD TO EXCESSIVE RUNOFF. MANY CREEKS ARE

CURRENTLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING DUE TO THE RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL. INDIVIDUALS CAMPING IN LOW LYING AREAS THIS EXTENDED HOLIDAY WEEKEND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND EVEN IF THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. WATER LEVELS CAN QUICKLY RISE FROM HEAVY RAINFALL UPSTREAM.

ANOTHER CONCERN IS THE VERY HIGH WATER LEVELS THROUGHOUT MANY OF THE LARGER RIVER BASINS. A WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD LEAD TO RENEWED FLOODING OR MORE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING THAN WHAT IS

CURRENTLY ONGOING. STAY TUNED TO FUTURE FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS POTENTIAL SITUATION.

National Weather Service for more hydrologic updates, and

KCRG-TV9's weather page for forecast details throughout the holiday weekend.